Latin name and variety denomination: The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Vaccinium corymbosum, which is hereby denominated xe2x80x98Draper.xe2x80x99
This application is related to the present inventor""s United States patent applications entitled xe2x80x9cBlueberry plant denominated xe2x80x98Aurora,xe2x80x99xe2x80x9d U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/350,345, filed Jan. 23, 2003, and entitled xe2x80x9cBlueberry Plant denominated xe2x80x98Liberty,xe2x80x99xe2x80x9d U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/350,343, filed Jan. 23, 2003. Both of these applications are also assigned to the assignee of the present application. The disclosures of the above applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of highbush blueberry plant, denominated xe2x80x98Draper.xe2x80x99 Draper is a new blueberry variety of Vaccinium corymbosum from the Michigan State University Breeding Program. It includes genes of Vaccinium corymbosum, with small contributions of genes from V. tenellum, V. ashei and V. darrowi. It is a productive, early mid-season ripening variety with very high fresh market quality and is believed to have a long storage life. It is intended for areas where northern highbush varieties are grown successfully. Plants of Draper are vigorous and upright. Canes are numerous, moderately branched and the fruit are well exposed. Its berries are moderately large, have small, dry picking scars, excellent powder-blue color, delicious flavor and excellent firmness. The size of the fruit is unusually regular and is presented in a loose cluster.
Emasculated flowers of the xe2x80x98Dukexe2x80x99 highbush blueberry were pollinated in 1990 with pollen from the USDA elite selection G751. Duke was crossed with G751 to transfer the unusually firm, long-lasting fruit of G751 into the earlier season background of Duke. The seeds were germinated, grown in a greenhouse for 1 year and then field planted at Benton Harbor Mich. Draper was selected in 1995 from 77 siblings. Asexual reproduction took place at East Lansing, Mich. and Lowell, Oreg. The original selection has been evaluated at Benton Harbor annually for 11 years. Draper has been propagated by hardwood cuttings that produced over a hundred shoots which were rooted in the greenhouse and then planted in the field. Initiation of root development from hardwood cuttings takes about two to about four weeks. In addition, Draper has been propagated by softwood cuttings that have been rooted. Furthermore, generation of micro-shoots in the greenhouse using established tissue culture methods has produced thousands of clones of Draper. Initiation of root development from microshoots takes about three to about four weeks. Such methods are discussed in the following references, which are incorporated by reference in their entirety: Doran, W. L. and Bailey, J. S. xe2x80x9cPropagation of the high bush blueberry by softwood cuttings,xe2x80x9d Bulletin Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station; no. 410. Amherst, Mass. Massachusetts State College, 1943; Doehlert, C. A. xe2x80x9cPropagating blueberries from hardwood cuttings,xe2x80x9d Circular (New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station) 490. New Brunswick, N.J. New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, 1945; Doehlert, C. A. xe2x80x9cPropagating blueberries from hardwood cuttings,xe2x80x9d Circular (New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station) 551. New Brunswick, N.J.: New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, 1953; El Shiekh, A.; Wildung, D. K.; Luby, J. J.; Sargent, K. L.; Read, P. E. xe2x80x9cLong term effects of propagation by tissue culture or softwood single node cuttings on growth habit, yield, and berry weight of xe2x80x98Northbluexe2x80x99 blueberry,xe2x80x9d Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. 1996; 121: 2, 339 342; Galletta, G. J.; Ballington, J. R.; Daubeny, H. A.; Brennan, R. M.; Reisch, B. J.; Pratt, C.; Ferguson, A. R.; Seal, A. G.; McNeilage, M. A.; Fraser, L. G.; Harvey, C. F.; Beatson, R. A.; Hancock, J. F.; Scott, D. H.; Lawrence, F. J.; Janick, J. (ed.); Moore, J. N. xe2x80x9cFruit breeding. Volume II. Vine and small fruits,xe2x80x9d Department of Horticulture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. 1996 John Wiley and Sons; New York; USA; Strik, B.; Brun, C.; Ahmedullah, M.; Antonelli, A.; Askham, L.; Barney, D.; Bristow, P.; Fisher, G.; Hart, J.; Havens, D. Draper A. D. and Chandler C. K. xe2x80x9cAccelerating highbush blueberry selection evaluation by early propagation,xe2x80x9d Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. 1986 111(2): 301-303; Pritts M. P. and Hancock J. F. (Eds.) xe2x80x9cHighbush blueberry production guide,xe2x80x9d Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service, Ithaca, N.Y., USA 1992.
Clones of Draper have been tested for four years at Benton Harbor, Mich. and Grand Junction, Mich., and for two years at South Haven, Mich., Lacota, Mich., Corvallis, Oreg., and Lowell, Oreg. In all cases all resulting plants have stably displayed characteristics of the variety identified as Draper.
The predominant mid-season blueberry variety now grown, xe2x80x98Bluecrop,xe2x80x99 has very high yields, but the fruit are often sour, do not ripen evenly and have limited storage life. Draper ripens much more regularly, has much better flavor and will store longer. The firmness of its fruit suggests that it can be machine harvested for the fresh market, a characteristic only occasionally possible with Bluecrop. Draper appears to be five days earlier ripening than Bluecrop, partially filling a production void after the major early ripening variety xe2x80x98Duke.xe2x80x99
Consistent high yields at Benton Harbor and Grand Junction, Mich. indicate that the buds and wood of Draper are tolerant to fluctuating late fall and spring temperatures. Draper also has excellent winter hardiness, as it has routinely been challenged with mid-winter temperatures below xe2x88x9220 C. Probable areas of adaptation and markets include blueberry growers in Michigan and across the USA, Canada, Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Germany, and New Zealand.